Local officials seeking to stop gas leaks

Thursday

Sep 14, 2017 at 12:28 PMSep 23, 2017 at 10:54 PM

Jonathan Phelps @JPhelps_MW

Like many other towns and cities across the state, Hopkinton officials support legislation aimed to make sure utility companies aren't passing on the cost of lost gas caused by hundreds of natural gas leaks across the state.

The two Consumer Cost Protection bills are before both the state's House and Senate.

As of the most recent data, 28 leaks remain in Hopkinton, with 21 repaired in the past year, according to data provided by the town. The number of leaks in towns and cities in the MetroWest and Milford area range from seven in Hopedale to 159 in Framingham.

At the recommendation of Town Manager Norman Khumalo, Hopkinton selectmen unanimously voted Tuesday night to "strongly support" both bills. The bills seek to stop utility companies from charging customers for the unaccounted for gas by factoring it into the price per therm.

"The gas companies need to address the gas leaks timely and stop passing on the cost of the gas leaks to ratepayers," Khumalo wrote in a memo to the board. "These bills, H.2683/S.1845, provide the incentive to do so. Stopping leaks into our air and instead using that gas, will reduce energy costs, and reduce any need for even more gas pipelines and gas gate stations to meet peak demand."

The vote comes as Hopkinton residents and officials are fighting Eversource on the placement of a gas gate station near the Elmwood Elementary School, which will allow Eversource to tie into the Tennessee Gas high-pressure gas line that runs through town.

Hopkinton Selectmen John Coutinho said the No. 1 priority should be safety and the environment. He is irked by the gas leak problem in light of the company's proposal to build the station.

"They are asking for a gas gate station because they say the pressure is not high enough to support Hopkinton, but if we have this many leaks how much is being lost?" he asked. "Do we really need a gas gate station? Why don't they fix this first and see if we need a gas gate station."

Eversource officials say the station is needed to meet a growing demand for natural gas in Hopkinton and the surrounding area.

Eversource is working with community groups and elected officials on finding a remedy for gas leaks across the state, according to Rhiannon D'Angelo, a spokeswoman for the company.

Legislators passed laws in 2014 and 2016 aimed to speed up the process, but Khumalo and other local officials say the progress is still slow.

In 2017, Eversource invested about $65 million to replace 40 miles of gas distribution pipes across Central and Eastern Massachusetts, including 43 separate upgrade projects this year in the MetroWest area, D'Angelo said. The company is reviewing the most recent bills.

"Our program will continue to grow across the state over the next few years to reach a pipe replacement rate of 50 miles per year," D'Angelo wrote.

Part of the region is also served by National Grid.

Natural gas leaks can cause explosions, kill trees by attracting bacteria to their roots, be harmful to human health and waste fossil fuel, according to Home Energy Efficiency Team, an advocacy group. The state has the second oldest and leak-prone infrastructure in the country, said Audrey Schulman, HEET Co-founder and president.

About 50 percent of the gas is being lost by only 7 percent of the leaks, according to recent report by Boston University.

"If we find the big leaks, 'the gushers,' we can fix 50 percent of the gas leaks," Schulman said.

The group supports the bills, saying it's another incentive for the companies to fix the problem.

"It is like charging someone for lemonade with holes in the bottom of it," she said. "If they (utility companies) lose the gas they should bear some of the cost. It is the most effective incentive to have them fix the worst leaks."

In Framingham, Selectmen Chairwoman Cheryl Tully Stoll said she can smell gas leaks from her car when driving around town. The 159 leaks are spread out around the entire town.

"We have senior citizens on fixed incomes who are paying for gas that no one is even using," she said. "That is absurd."

The utility companies need to do a better job at maintaining its infrastructure, especially with the unpredictable weather of New England.

"It usually isn't a safety issue," she said. "It is a supply issue to consumers because we are paying for natural gas that they are paying for and can't deliver to us."

Hearings on the bills are expected this fall.

Khumalo recommends selectmen develop a policy that would establish a time frame for gas companies to fix any leak and allow the town to impose fines if gas leaks go unreported.

"I want to make sure everyone in Hopkinton knows how many leaks there are so we can rise up and make our voices heard," Coutinho said.

Jonathan Phelps can be reached at 508-626-4338 or jphelps@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JPhelps_MW.

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